PEMRA claims clean hands against Geo, Jang Group

Islamabad: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority has claimed that the sacking of its former Regional General Manager Balochistan was a routine administrative matter and not a consequence of his being punished for disobeying the alleged order by Chairman to disturb Geo Super signal etc. In keeping with journalistic ethics, the PEMRA version is being reproduced in its entirety along with the rejoinder by the relevant correspondent.

PEMRA Clarification: “Apropos to the image tarnishing and defamatory campaign launched by a media group against PEMRA and the Govt. on 22.3.11 by deceiving the Honorable Courts as well as public through concocted stories.

It is clarified that Mr. Gul Muhammad Kakar is not the employee of PEMRA but an employee of University of Balochistan and his services were requisitioned by PEMRA on deputation for a period of one year on 27.8.2008. Subsequently, his deputation was confirmed by the parent department vide letter No. DG Admn. & HR/UOB/292 dated 11.11.2008 and the officer joined PEMRA on 12.11.2008 for a period of one year. Mr. Gul Muhammad Kakar has now been repatriated / relieved from PEMRA on 2.3.11.

Authority has drawn a line to repatriate all those on deputation who have completed two years or more in PEMRA. During last one month, PEMRA has deposed 08 officials to parent departments on completion of two years or more in PEMRA including the one Mr. Kakar. It is also to bring on record that Mr. Kakar has been trying to get himself absorbed in PEMRA permanently and was pressurizing PEMRA through various sources to relax rules in his favour. Therefore, all the propaganda of Mr. Gul Muhammad Kakar through a selected media group is baseless, false and fabricated. Rather, he is pursuing vested agenda of a media group by exhibiting immorality which is in violation of Conduct of a Govt. employee and it is obligation of Baluchistan varsity to take cognizance of the matter.

Hiring officials on deputation under interim arrangements is usual practice in organizations until the organization become self sufficient of its indigenous human resource or its human capital grow up to handle its affairs amicably. Similarly, the deputation is not something to be claimed as a matter of right by any individual and a deputationist can be repatriated any time.

Under PEMRA Employees Services Regulation-2008, the absorption can only be made against quota of direct recruitment which is already filled in March 2009 after fulfilling the criteria and quota reserved for every province including Balochistan. It is to bring on record that Mr. Gul Muhammad Kakar did not apply for the post at that time. All the posts reserved for general Managers were subsequently filled and no room was left to continue person on deputation on said posts.

Subsequently, PEMRA started deposing officials on deputation to protect the right and privileges of indigenous employees that is also in line with the directive of the Honorable Supreme Court of Pakistan and there was no arbitrary or prejudice action against any of the employee.

Mr. Gul Muhammad Kakar has now started malicious propaganda against his repatriation from PEMRA in order to fetch undue and illegal favour as he aimed to induct in PEMRA. He is not only approaching PEMRA through various political figures to retain his services on deputation but has also started threatening and blackmailing PEMRA officers of dire consequences if he is not retained.

On Friday, March 11, 2011 at about 4.00 pm he came to PEMRA Headquarters and started intimidating. He categorically warned of severest consequences and claimed that he would not let run PEMRA Baluchistan office smoothly. Moreover, he also crossed limit by claiming that he can endanger lives of Punjabis and Sindhis in PEMRA Balochistan offices on ethnic grounds. Same was immediately apprised to the Vice Chancellor of Balochistan University to take necessary action against the said official as per their own service code.

It is ironic that how a leading and influential media group has been belying its very own claims of patriotic journalism by giving the parochial story without even balancing it with point of view of accused organization or official. PEMRA has always upheld the rule of law ordained under PEMRA Ordinance, Rules and Regulations as well as the orders of Honorable Courts as and when decreed. It is not a covert truth any more that PEMRA in pursuance to the orders of Honorable Supreme Court has been taking strenuous efforts to distribute Geo Super uninterruptedly on all cable networks and Honorable Court is aware of every action of PEMRA. Nevertheless, PEMRA has recently dealt all violating cable operators sternly which is widely publicized by print and electronic media on March 18 & 19, 2011”.

AHMED NOORANI responds: Stunned and stung by the revelations of a brave bureaucrat unveiling its illegal and unethical tactics, a flustered Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) dug itself deeper into the legal hole on Tuesday as it issued a completely untrue and baseless clarification pertaining to the stance of the hastily sacked former RGM Balochistan, Gul Muhammad Kakar. The official clarification was loaded with incorrect figures and distorted facts and may arguably serve as the best self-incrominating piece of evidence for the Supreme Court seized with the Geo Super case. In an equally interesting twist, while exhaustively dilating upon Kakar’s service terms, PEMRA chose to remain silent over the ‘amazing’ service history of its own boss Dr. Abdul Jabar, who remains the government’s point man in the hatchet job against Geo and Jang Group.

In its clarification, PEMRA has not questioned the authenticity of any of the official documents published by The News and daily Jang or the fact that the most critical correspondence had been penned down prior to Mr. Kakar’s sudden sacking from the organisation. It has then lambasted its former top level whistle blower, Mr. Gul Muhammad Kakar for truthfully exposing the criminal collusion between PPP government and PEMRA, which by using measures like disturbing transmission signal and other actions, sought to inflict massive financially damage to Geo and Jang Group. Not only did the clarification cite absolutely wrong and distorted facts about the services of Kakar but Pemra has also stooped to a new low by accusing the gentleman officer of hurling murderous threats against Sindhis and others. While giving a deliberately skewered assessment of Mr. Kakar, an understandably miffed Dr Jabbar even not mentioned that in recognition of Kakar’s exceptional professional performance and impeccable personal credentials, PEMRA had itself issued him a glowing appreciation letter not that distant in the past. ( It is being reproduced with this report)

In PEMRA clarification it has been stated that that Kakar’s services were taken for PEMRA for one year only, which by simple calculation should have ended in 2009. Maybe now is the excellent time for the chairman Pemra to explain to the Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in the next hearing of the Geo case as to why Kakar, who according to him was taken only a one-year deputation, was not sent back on the completion of one year and was only sent back suddenly on March 2, 2011 when the ICC cricket World Cup was in full swing and Geo Super signal was being interrupted by cable operators and a full legal and public tussle was on. The Second paragraph of the clarification is self explanatory and sufficient to expose PEMRA’s real and dirty motivation. What transpires between Chairman Pemra and the SC, whose orders he has chosen to disobey, remains to be seen but meanwhile we are reproducing Pemra’s letter wherein the services of then-good-now-bad Kakar have been sought for a three-year period.

Replying to Dr Jabbar’s response, the repatriated former Regional General Manager PEMRA Balochistan Gul Muhammad Kakar told The News that he states on oath that during his meeting with Dr Jabbar in PEMRA headquarters Islamabad he never ever said to Dr. Jabbar that if he was not restored he will kill Punjabis and Sindhis working in PEMRA’s Balochistan office. “It is extremely unfortunate that Dr Jabbar is playing extremely dirty politics after being exposed and even not caring for the respect of the high office he is holding,” Kakar said, adding “Dr Jabbar who is heading a federal department does not realise the consequences of using extremely dangerous words to incite poison of provincialism simply to show his anger against me and to protect his own position of Chairman PEMRA.”

Kakar stated that “there is not a single person from province of Sindh in PEMRA’s Balochistan office and Dr Jabbar’s allegation regarding my threatening any such person is absolutely false. “I am not person of this kind and always behaved and responded positively towards all employees working in PEMRA’s Balochistan office without any prejudice,” Kakar said. He said that he only told Dr Jabbar that he (Kakar) was ousted only because of his disobedience for not following his (Dr JabbarÂ’s) orders to disturb Geo Super signal through cable operators and rather acting against these cable operators in light with Supreme Court directions. “This is true that I have asked Dr Jabbar that I was not given my rights for being a Balochi. This complains I presented when Dr Jabbar told me that he will not accept me back as he was removing all deputationists. What I told him was that there are so many deputation officers in PEMRA and were never disturbed as long they continue dancing on his tunes. One such officer in Punjab was not only allowed to complete his 3 years deputation but was also given extension,” Kakar said. He said that Balochis also have rights on federal institutions but people like Dr Jabbar are fueling provincialism amongst people.

The News has documentary evidences that this Punjab officer is RGM in Lahore on deputation and as a grade-18 officer was head (sic) of a three-member committee which approved absorption of Dr Jabbar in PEMRA in grade-20. This case, according to top PEMRA officials, was a unique even if unbelievable case in bureaucratic history where a three-member committee, comprising a contractual official and two grade-18 officers absorbed a person in grade-20. Dr Jabbar is ethnically of Punjabi origin but has a Sindh domicile because of his family having settled in Sindh. Documents available with The News show that Dr Jabbar also came to PEMRA on a three-year deputation from PTA, and was then sent back to PTA for six days to get a promotion and then again given another three-year deputation before being finally absorbed in grade-20 through a grade-18 officer committee.
Source: The News
Date:3/23/2011